A quote from the time of Twin Peaks, 1990, explains what Twin Peaks was to television:

“American network television has long been considered the home of the bland, the cautious and the predictable, so it was with some trepidation that the ABC network recently launched a new series that was none of those things.

“Twin Peaks, which began airing in America two weeks ago, has already been described by one critic as ‘the series that will change TV.'” – Tracey Macleod, BBC2’s The Late Show

One season later, the show was almost cancelled. It carried on for one more season.

The show began on a high note. Talk about Twin Peaks being “unlike anything else on TV” brought viewers enough to make it the highest-rating show on ABC’s spring season. And this interest caused Twin Peaks to become one of the top-rated shows in 1990. But after a number of time-slot changes and the resolution of the one of the story’s most important questions, ratings plummeted during the second season, and the network put it on indefinite hiatus. It was brought back after an organized letter-writing campaign, but ratings did not improve.

Lynch himself enjoyed the making his only TV series:

“The beautiful thing about television,” the director said after the show began to air, “is you have the chance to do a continuing story, and that’s pretty neat to me. That’s the main reason for doing it.” – David Lynch 1990

Lynch co-wrote the show, “weaving the stories over the weeks” as he referred to it, with Hill Street Blues Story Editor Mark Frost.

As for the upcoming (originally 9- but now perhaps 18-episode) third series, Lynch walked away from it once already after reporting that Showtime, the network that will air the new Twin Peaks, was not willing to spend enough on the script the way Lynch thought it should be done, which may have had to do with issues around the original cast. After much public discussion and a series of self-made videos by as-yet-unsigned former Twin Peaks cast members about the necessity of having Lynch on for the new show (Showtime had considered going on with the project without the director), Lynch stated publicly that he was back on.

The third series will be notably different from the first two because it will be filmed all at once like a movie, and Lynch and David Frost will decide where to cut the story into episodes (which could be various lengths in minutes).

And on January 9, 2017, it was finally revealed that Twin Peaks’ all-important return date will be Sunday, May 21, with a two-hour premiere. It will also go on Showtime’s streaming services on May 21 – along with episodes three and four.

Twin Peaks 2017 Cast

Twin Peaks Discussion (We’ll post these questions, and if you have more, let us know, and you guys can comment on them)

So far, many Twin Peaks original cast members have confirmed that they are in the third season (airing early 2017):

FBI and Cops:

Special Agent Dale Cooper

Yes, signed and the only one who has seen the entire script, reportedly.

Sheriff Harry S. Truman

Uncertain, he may be replaced by another actor.

Deputy Andy Brennan

Uncertain.

Deputy Hawk

Uncertain.

Lucy Moran, Secretary

Maybe.

Special Agent Albert Rosenfield

Yes.

Special Agent Gordon Cole

Yes.

Denise Bryson, FBI Agent

Possibly.

The Twin Peaks girls:

Laura Palmer/Maddy Ferguson

Yes.

Audrey Horne

Yes.

Donna Hayward

No. (But Fire Walk With Me’s Donna, Moira Kelly maybe.)

Shelly Johnson

Yes.

Annie Blackburn

Uncertain.

Josie Packard

Uncertain.

The Families:

Leland Palmer

Died in the show, but might be in 2017.

Sarah Palmer

Yes.

Ben Horne and Jerry Horne

Yes.

Norma Jennings

Uncertain.

Hank Jennings

Uncertain.

Nadine Hurley

Possibly.

Catherine Martell

Uncertain.

Betty Briggs

Possibly.

Guys in Town:

Bobby Briggs

Possibly.

Mike Nelson, Bobby’s Friend

Possibly.

James Hurley, Biker

Uncertain.

Twin Peaks Characters:

The Giant

Uncertain.

Mike, the One-Armed Man (Phillip Gerard)

Possibly.

The Log Lady

Deceased.

Bob

Bob’s actor is dead, although Leland’s actor is a possibility.

Later on, a full cast list for the 2017 series was announced. 217 members on it. Some are returning, some are new: